<p>[Early</a> action returns | Harvard Gazette](<a href=“http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/02/early-action-returns/]Early”>Early action returns — Harvard Gazette)</p>
<p>Excerpt:</p>
<p>We piloted the elimination of early action out of concern that college admissions had become too complex and pressured for all students, and out of particular concern for students at under-resourced high schools who might not be able to access the early admissions process, said Harvard President Drew Faust. Over the past several years, however, interest in early admissions has increased, as students and families from across the economic spectrum seek certainty about college choices and financing. Our goal now is to reinstitute an early-action program consistent with our bedrock commitment to access, affordability, and excellence.</p>
<p>We looked carefully at trends in Harvard admissions these past years and saw that many highly talented students, including some of the best-prepared low-income and underrepresented minority students, were choosing programs with an early-action option, and therefore were missing out on the opportunity to consider Harvard. We have decided that the College and our students will be best served by restoring an early option, said Dean Michael D. Smith of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.</p>